Winter seems like such a peaceful time in a vineyard—no threats of spring frost or frantic harvesting of ripe grapes—but in fact, winter is one of the busiest and most important times
of the year for one reason: pruning.
Pruning is the trimming of last year’s growth on a grapevine to prepare it for producing more fruit in the spring. Sometime between when the vine goes dormant (usually after the first cold snap, when all of the leaves fall off) and when bud break occurs in early spring, vineyard crews will move through the vineyard, cutting back up to 90 percent of last year’s growth. Isn’t that amazing 90% Sometimes pruning will happen even after bud break (the first sign of growth)
There are many reasons for pruning, but the main reason is to control the amount of fruit that grows on the vine.
Not enough pruning causes too many grape clusters to grow, sapping the vine’s
energy and producing thin, watery wine. Overly enthusiastic pruning,
on the other hand, so severely limits the amount of fruit that the grapes are
too well-covered by the leaves of the vine, creating under-ripe, “green” wines.
Sam Turner, owner of Vista Vineyard Management in Napa Valley, says that knowing what and where to cut is “one of highest skills needed for a professional vineyard
worker.”
In the northern hemisphere, we’re heading into the height of pruning season,
and the feeling of hope and excitement for next year’s crop is thick and heady
in vineyards. Get excited for the 2014 vintage!

Is it possible to think your life different? To set an intention to change a certain aspect, think yourself to happiness, think yourself to confidence, think yourself to peace, to health, to well-being, even to wealth…….

We believe~ you have been given the power within to change –you certainly have the power to pray to request the change, to ask for help, to seek guidance. Often there is confusion with prayer and meditation and sometimes a hardness of thought on which one—should I pray or meditate. The simple difference from our point of view is prayer is a language (does not have to be spoken but words, thoughts, desires) and meditation is silent reflection, openness to receive. Prayer is that notion that it is possible to think your situation different; your thoughts can alter reality and influence the outcomes of your life without your conscious control.

Yoga can transform through prayer and meditation, through the union with the Devine (God) with intention you can take your practice to movement in prayer and allow transformation. Approaching it from an intention of reverence—it’s much more than Asana (the posture/positions). At the close of a practice there is often the recall that the peace, frame of mind, relaxation–the feeling one has coming out of the final rest pose is within us. It stays with us and we can find strength from that place throughout the day, the week, the year—moment to moment bringing it back through silence, through intention of thought–through prayer and meditation.

May you be well, may you seek what your heart desires, may you be transformed if it is to be. For more information on a yoga retreat, wine and well being retreat, yoga sessions and more….please contact us. ~ Namaste, Amen, Cheers!!